Typically there is a desire to reduce size of electronic units, while lowering associated costs. Many such electronic units, such as portable or hand held electronic devices, e.g., cellular phones, laptop computers, bar code scanners and the like can include various replaceable battery arrangements having electrical/mechanical contacts that are subject to wear and tear during a lifetime of the electronic unit. For example, such battery arrangements can include rechargeable battery packs comprised of battery cells.
Generally, when one battery unit or a battery cell of such a pack is depleted, it can be removed from the host unit and replaced with another fully charged battery cell, with the depleted battery unit or cell being recharged or disposed of. Such battery pack arrangement can typically include a sealed enclosure, which protects the rechargeable batteries cells. Contacts on an exterior surface of the battery pack enclosure mate with contacts on the electronic device or interior terminal contact, upon the battery pack being mounted on the electronic device. Such battery packs may be arranged in two or three rows, depending on the capacity required of the whole battery pack, capacity and size of each battery, and similar factors. Charging or discharging batteries of these devices requires use of various conducting parts for electrical connection between the batteries and between package terminals and the batteries. Such conducting members are typically subject to wear and tear, which in a life time of the electronic unit can affect performance thereof as well as that of the portable unit.
At the same time, the market for wearable systems of portable unit/computer is rapidly expanding. Such systems have architectures wherein main components of the system are generally supported by and/or upon a user's body. As such, a user of a wearable computer may be termed the ‘wearer’ of the computer or portable unit.
Such units typically enable a user to freely employ hands or other body parts when operating the unit. Wearable computer (or portable data collection devices) form factors typically include belt/head worn products—which can come equipped with a head mounted display, as well as headset microphone and/or tablet display—and wrist/finger-worn devices that are usually associated with a bar code scanner and a voice or touch screen interface. Such portable data collection devices are widely used in manufacturing, service, and package delivery industries as to perform a variety of on-site data collection activities, including; integrated bar code dataform readers adapted to read bar code dataforms affixed to products, product packaging and/or containers in warehouses, retail stores, shipping terminals, or the like, for inventory control, tracking, production control and expediting, quality assurance and a wide variety of other purposes.
Desirable characteristics of a rechargeable power supply for such units, as well as for other portable electronic units, include; lightness, rapid charging rate, performance at low charge, ability to be charged and discharged many times without deterioration, and calendar lifetime. Typically however, providing a long battery life for portable electronic units substantially increases weight of the portable unit, such that they become heavy and cumbersome to operate.
Therefore, there is a need to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies associated with conventional devices.